Art Upstairs
by YellowRocksMySocks
Summary: Beth finds a secret art studio upstairs. To which Avenger does it belong?


Even though I had been living at the Avengers Tower for close to seven months, there were still plenty of floors (especially the upper ones), that I hadn't explored yet. So, on this dreary Saturday bored out of my mind, I decided to check them out. I took the ridiculously fancy elevator up to floor twenty. I stepped out into the hallway, and began looking in each of the rooms. There were five with a sixth at the end of the hallway. The first five had nothing in them, except for the occasional painter's tarp or piece of plywood. I opened the sixth room's door, and was amazed at what was inside.

An art studio, equipped with tons of canvases, paints in every color imaginable, pencils, charcoal, clay, a pottery wheel, and even a kiln lay before me in the rather expansive room.

I slowly walk around, taking it all in, until I am in front of a wall with paintings hung on it. There are a couple of landscapes, mostly of New York. There are also drawings tacked onto the wall. Some are of our family. There is one that is so much like a photo of us hung next to it; I can barely tell it's a drawing. I see a charcoal drawing of Peggy, and I immediately know this is Steve's studio. I turn and see a painting of the Empire State building, and am swept away at the beauty of it. The sky is painted sunset colors, with little birds flying and people on the sidewalk.

"How did you find this room?" I hear Steve ask.

"Oh!" I yelp, and turn around with a guilty expression on my face. Steve is standing in the door with his arms crossed in the first pair of jeans I bought him and a white t-shirt. "Well, I was exploring and I opened the door and here was this studio." I reply.

"Did you think that maybe it was up here for a reason? Maybe because it is a secret?" he asked, his eyes cold.

I'm surprised at his anger. "Steve, I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to find this. But why is it a secret? Your work is amazing! You are one of the best artists I have ever seen! The painting of the Empire State is wonderful. The drawing of Peggy is just as beautiful as she is. Why are you ashamed of your gift?" I ask as I walk toward him. Steve still has his arms crossed and looks down at me. He is easily a head and a half taller than me, and it's not like me being 5'4" is short for a girl. I copy his stance and we have a staring contest until he finally breaks it, trying to hide a smile.

"Told you I always win..." I tease. "How long have you been making stuff up here?" I ask as I mosey over to an in-progress painting of the Rockefeller Center.

Steve walks over to join me. "Since a couple weeks after we all starting living here. So about a year ago." he answers.

"I see you like to do a lot of stuff in New York. And of our family." I comment.

"Yeah. Those make me feel at home, you know?" he says.

"Definitely. How did you create this studio?" I ask as I study the creations of the Avengers.

"I didn't. Tony did. One day he saw me doodling a portrait of Bruce and him in the lab and he freaked out. They both did. The next day, Tony brings me up here and shows me a fully equipped art studio. He said he built it the night before." Steve replied. "I didn't know what to say. I don't think I'm that amazing."

I turn to him with a dumbfounded expression. "Hello? Steve? Are you insane? You are crazily amazing. I mean, I've done some painting in the past, but nothing like this. Tony's a good friend. Most of the time..." I say.

He laughs. "So, you said you paint?" he asks.

"Yeah. A little. I like to draw too. I'm not very good. Mostly just people." I answer. I'm staring at a drawing of Steve, Thor, Bruce, and I from the flour fight. I recognize it as the photograph from my album. It is extremely accurate, just like all the other stuff on this wall.

"I bet you're at least okay. Can I see you draw something? Or someone, I guess." Steve asks, smiling.

"Err, fine. Can I see one of the photographs?" I ask and move over to Steve's drawing station.

"Sure. Here's a still of Thor and his hammer." he says and hands me the picture.

"Thanks." I say and sit at the table. I grab a charcoal and begin to sketch the outline of Thor's hammer. After about half an hour, I'm done.

"Wow, Beth. That's really good!" Steve said.

"Jee, thanks. You're not so bad yourself." I say. "What are you working on now?" I ask him.

"Nothing, really. I can't find something that really interests me." he replies.

"I have an idea. You know how families always get giant family photos and hang them in their living room? How about we draw one?" I suggest.

"I like that. I actually have some giant paper over there." Steve points out.

"Awesome. How about some tunes?" I suggest as I turn the radio to an 80's rock station.

"I wish we could've had this kind of music back in the day." Steve says.

"It's the greatest." I agree as we draw and jam out to some Survivor.

* * *

We were in the studio for about four hours, drawing and painting. Steve and I crept downstairs with our finished product and hung it above the couch while everyone else was running errands. When they came back, they simply stood in front of it and stared.

Bruce was the first to speak. "I've seen lots of art in my days, but this is by far the only masterpiece I've seen."

Steve and I bumped fists. Definitely an afternoon well spent.


End file.
